LA council votes to legalize the cannabis industry, offers priority to Angelenos affected by ‘war on drugs’

The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a package of regulations allowing for the operation of legal pot shops, as well as non-retail cannabis businesses such as cultivators and manufacturers.

Proposition D, a 2013 ban on marijuana businesses in Los Angeles, will be repealed as of Jan. 1, under the language approved by the council. It goes next to the mayor, and would go into effect immediately if he signs it

One of the key features of the regulations is a “social equity” program that prioritizes communities in Los Angeles that have historically been affected by the “war on drugs,” a